


The King of this Hologram

by wreckingball



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter/Funhaus RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, M/M, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-13
Updated: 2016-08-13
Packaged: 2018-08-08 13:57:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7760428
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wreckingball/pseuds/wreckingball
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jeremy passed his training and was officially assigned to the Achievement Hunter team, there was one rule that stuck in his mind. The term ‘rule’ wasn’t entirely accurate, though; it was more like advice, given to him by the very head of the company: Matt Hullum.</p><p>“Try not to get too close to your coworkers.”</p><p>He had been part of Achievement Hunter for maybe ten minutes before he realised that they had metaphorically (and probably physically) flipped their boss the bird.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The King of this Hologram

**Author's Note:**

> Back in January, someone asked me if I had ever considered writing Jerevin. I said yes at the time and was soon after given the idea of a spies au. This fic has been about seven months in the making and I am so glad to see it done. Special thanks to [PastelPrinceling](http://archiveofourown.org/users/pastelprinceling) for beta reading this for me! 
> 
> This fic also has a playlist that can be found [here](http://8tracks.com/wreckingballfic/a-scholar-and-a-gentleman).

When Jeremy passed his training and was officially assigned to the Achievement Hunter team, there was one rule that stuck in his mind. The term ‘rule’ wasn’t entirely accurate, though; it was more like advice, given to him by the very head of the company: Matt Hullum.

_“Try not to get too close to your coworkers.”_

It wasn’t hard to figure out what Hullum had meant by that. Relationships with colleagues were risky at the best of times, but even more so when you were a spy. They were a chink in your armour, a way for a person to get to you - and important information - under duress. That didn’t even include the way it would affect the way teams would work together.

He had been part of Achievement Hunter for maybe ten minutes before he realised that they had metaphorically (and probably physically) flipped their boss the bird.

Their leader, Ramsey, had one of the younger members in his lap when Jeremy let himself into their room - Jones was his name, he remembered. They weren’t stealing a moment of intimacy, but they were pressed close while they worked, Ramsey’s arm around Jones’ waist and his hand resting low on his hip, apparently unashamed of the fact. It took him a long moment to look up and notice Jeremy standing in the doorway. When he did, he and Jones both just waved, and then they returned their attention to each other and the file resting on Jones’ knees.

It took Jeremy a little longer to notice the other couple in the team. Haywood and Narvaez were far more subtle about their affection; they only put it on display when offering shy pecks on the cheek or quiet, warm compliments - or, very, _very_ rarely, promises for later that Jeremy was certain he wasn’t supposed to overhear.

Pattillo just seemed bemused at them all most of the time. She would offer Jeremy a glance, shake her head with soft amusement and an obvious lack of surprise when she caught Jeremy looking, and go back to her computer.

Gavin Free was a completely different situation altogether.

* * *

Everything seemed much more casual than he’d been led to believe; aside from Pattillo showing him his desk, nobody made any moves to actually get any work done. Jeremy had cautiously taken a seat and decided to wait. He’d felt the last member, Free, eyeing him from the desk next to him, but hadn’t thought anything of it at the time. Jeremy was the new guy - he assumed any and all staring would be down to fascination with the newest recruit.

Well, he wasn’t far off the mark. He quickly learned that Gavin had a particular way of getting to know people, and that way was to ask the most bizarre hypothetical questions at the worst times.

Jeremy’s first job was something he could do at his desk. Hacking wasn’t too difficult for him - out of all the things he’d had experience with prior to his formal training, computers had been one of his specialties. Still, he wanted a little bit of space while he did it so there was less chance of him fucking up. He knew this was something of a test - Geoff had given him the job himself - and he wanted to make a good impression.

He didn’t mind people coming and watching over his shoulder now and again. Jeremy had had that with Matt before they’d parted ways during training, and even longer before that when they were just messing around together. He fully expected it from his new team, particularly since this was the first time they’d had a chance to see his skills in person. 

They came and went one by one, offering him space and muttered encouragement, but Gavin stayed.

Gavin pulled up a chair and settled in. Either he had no concept of personal space or he just didn’t care; Jeremy could feel Gavin’s arm brushing against his sleeve as he leaned in to watch, a soft, curious hum in his throat.

Jeremy took a long, deep breath, and let it out again just as slowly. That was fine. He could deal with that. He just had to concentrate.

“Jeremy.”

His fingers paused and hovered over the keys briefly. “Yeah?”

It took him a moment to notice that everyone else in the room had stopped, too. Jeremy noticed the lack of clacking keyboards and low chatter, and then his skin crawled when he felt everyone’s gaze fixed on the pair of them. Was the distraction part of this first test? Jeremy gritted his teeth and tried to go back to work.

“Would you - for a hundred grand - suck a dick?” 

There were snorts from around the room, people turning away with rolls of their eyes. Quietly, Geoff scoffed, “You can do better than that, Gavin.”

“Shut up,” Gavin hushed, flapping a hand in Geoff’s direction. “Well, Jeremy?”

Jeremy was just amazed. Of all the things he’d expected, a poorly timed game of _Would You Rather_ was not on that list. He was half-tempted to just ignore the question, but…

He’d play along. He’d spent enough time with the Achievement Hunter team by now to know the kind of jokes they liked to make, so hopefully they’d take this well.

Taking the opportunity for a quick break, Jeremy rolled his shoulders, working out the ache in them from hunching over his computer for a while. Casually, as he stretched his aching fingers, he said, “You wouldn’t need to pay me to suck a dick.” And, casting a glance over as he made to lean in towards his computer again, Jeremy added, “By the way, if you’re asking for me to blow you, you should take me to dinner first.”

To his delight, there was a bark of laughter from his left as Gavin sprawled back in his chair, closely followed by further giggling from around the room. Jeremy found himself grinning too. When he finally did return to his work, any nervous tension had drained from his shoulders.

Unsurprisingly, the rest of the hacking went without a hitch. Geoff patted him on the back to congratulate him on a job well done, and then announced that they should go out for drinks. Jeremy stumbled home that night with a buzz from the alcohol and the warmth of feeling included.

* * *

The next incident with Gavin wasn’t for a while.

Jeremy had a month to settle in, to get to know each of the others better. After he’d cracked his first joke, any lingering awkwardness surrounding him melted away. Even Gavin seemed to warm up to him further, despite the fact that he’d been the butt of it. Luckily, Jeremy had been right when he’d assumed that those kinds of jokes were common in the office.

Given that Jeremy had implied past experience with other men, however, he wasn’t surprised that Gavin’s curiosity had been piqued. Clearly, nobody had a problem with anyone being something other than straight, given that there were already two couples within the team, but Jeremy had already suspected that Gavin found him fascinating simply because he was new. No doubt he wanted the rest of his story.

It took another drinks outing for that to happen, though it was less of an outing and was actually an invitation to Geoff’s expensive - but very well protected - apartment.

(“It’s safer to get drunk when we’re not in public,” Geoff said.

“Geoff’s bedroom is there, too,” Michael said, grinning. “You might have to fight R&R for the spare room, though.”

Mostly, Jeremy was just confused about who, exactly, Michael expected him to share the spare room with.)

Jeremy had discovered how much Geoff liked his drink the first time he’d gone out with the team, but this was a little more relaxed. Here, in Geoff’s home, they weren’t vulnerable to anyone listening in on their conversations - it was just the seven of them and more alcohol than Jeremy had ever seen in one place. Geoff was certainly very well stocked.

Even so, it wasn’t really a party exactly; there was only seven of them, two of which were sticking to soft drinks, and there was less emphasis on getting wasted and more on just having a good time. There was music, but it was quiet and almost inaudible from the kitchen. He popped the bottle cap off of his beer and leaned back against the counter, taking a moment to rest here where he wasn’t surrounded by a babble of voices.

The kitchen door opened and clicked shut again, once more muffling the raucous laughter in the living room. Gavin headed over to the open box of beers, pulling out a fresh bottle for himself. He offered Jeremy a grin, cracked open his drink, and took the spare part of the counter next to him.

Gavin raised his beer, pausing to speak before he took a sip. “What’re you doing out here, J?”

Jeremy raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Just taking a break. It’s a little loud in there.”

“They always have been a loud bunch,” Gavin agreed with a nod and a hum against the opening of his beer. “I’ll keep you company for a bit of you want. I could do with a break as well.”

He wouldn’t deny Gavin that. “Help yourself,” Jeremy said, nodding. “I’ll probably go back in after a little while. I needed a new drink anyway.”

A moment of comfortable silence fell between them. Jeremy liked Gavin; he liked all of the crew, and he got along well with Gavin in particular despite the blatant curiosity Gavin had for him. He wouldn’t be too surprised to learn that this was Gavin’s own brand of initiating a person into the team: find out all he could about them. It was his role in the team, after all.

“Jeremy.”

And there it was again, just as it had been back in the office.

He almost tried to avoid it - he thought he knew what it would be about - but Jeremy found himself falling prey to it. There was something about Gavin’s morbid curiosity that he wanted to indulge.

“Yeah?”

Gavin’s gaze was fixed on the beer bottle in his hands, his nails tapping lightly on the surface of the glass in a repetitive rhythm. It would almost seem like he was nervous if he didn’t know Gavin a little better by now. He wasn’t nervous; he was trying to figure out how was best to phrase a question.

Jeremy would wait it out. He sipped his beer again, his patience drawn from the experience of sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, working with tangled code and unexpected turns. This was nothing compared to hacking.

Understanding Gavin was a little more complicated than that, though.

“You mentioned you’d had experience before,” Gavin said eventually. He was trying to act casual about it, as if it was a topic that had just occurred to him, but it was clearly something that had been on his mind. It was a tidbit of information, Jeremy thought, so of course Gavin had fixated on it. Considering it was his job to follow little pieces of knowledge like that, so it wasn’t too surprising. “What sort of stuff did you mean?”

So, he’d been right. Gavin wanted more information.

“I know training was long, but I _did_ have a life before that,” Jeremy reminded him, chuckling a little. “I dated people here and there.” Unfortunately, taking up this career path hadn’t given him much time to pursue anything recently that would lead to more than a quick, desperate night in bed. 

It wasn’t particularly a problem. Sex was nice, but Jeremy was more than capable of taking care of himself. More than anything, he missed the close companionship that came with something more stable - waking up with a warm body next to him every morning, someone he could kiss on the cheek and spend a lazy evening with when he got the chance. Jeremy wanted intimacy and the true satisfaction that came with sharing the night with a long-term partner.

He wasn’t going to tell Gavin all of that, though. He knew Gavin was only interested in all the dirty details of his sex life. The mushy parts weren’t important to him, though they might have been if Jeremy had been a target for a job.

Gavin sighed and slouched against the counter, turning a pout towards him. “That’s so _vague_ , Jeremy.”

Jeremy just shrugged, though he hid a little grin behind his beer bottle. “You didn’t ask for details.”

“Prick.” Gavin laughed, though, and he turned towards Jeremy, resting an arm on the counter. It was this that made Jeremy feel most like he was being interrogated, and he wasn’t surprised when Gavin pursued the matter. “Then _give_ me details, Lil J.”

“Like what?”

“Like how long since your last one!” Gavin rolled his eyes. He looked exasperated with Jeremy for dodging his questions, but he wasn’t about to just hand Gavin information without knowing what, exactly, he was looking for - neither was he going to let Gavin get away with this without turning the questions back on him.

The thing was, even with the interruption of training and settling in, it had been a long while since he’d last slept with anyone, and even longer since his last relationship. It never occurred to him that Gavin might be curious for other reasons.

As he thought, Jeremy exhaled a breath that puffed out his cheeks. “A long fucking time. Probably way over a year ago, honestly.”

“Christ.” Gavin wrinkled his nose with distaste. “Really? Why?”

“I already told you. Training.” Not to mention that this was a pretty damn big commitment. Any partners outside this job would have to understand that Jeremy was pretty married to his job, that he’d worked damn hard to get here. It wasn’t something he’d be comfortable just dropping when he’d already given it so much of his time. “And I haven’t had time since I started working with you guys.”

Gavin snorted. “Jeremy, I shagged someone just a couple of weeks ago.”

He raised an eyebrow. “But was the person the mark?”

At that, Gavin looked away, and Jeremy was amazed to see that his cheeks turned a little pink. “Got the info I needed out of him, didn’t I?”

The _him_ was unexpected, though Jeremy wasn’t quite sure why. As far as he was aware, most of the crew wasn’t straight. Maybe it was by design; for all he knew, Geoff could have sought out like-minded people for Achievement Hunter (though how he knew the crew’s sexualities was beyond him, even with all of their knowledge and access as spies). 

And Gavin had different ways of getting information. Sometimes all he had to do was talk a little - other times, he would turn on the charm. It really shouldn’t be surprising to hear that Gavin sometimes slept with his marks to get what he needed.

What did surprise Jeremy was the way his chest tightened a little with jealousy.

Gavin was certainly attractive, there was no denying that. Even when he wasn’t dressed up to go and seduce someone, he clearly took pride in his appearance - right now was an example of that. They were only with the rest of the team, but Gavin’s hair was still artfully styled to look just a little windswept. Jeremy kind of wanted to run his fingers through it.

The realisation that he was actually attracted to Gavin, though, was one that kind of made Jeremy feel like the floor had just disappeared from under his feet. Hullum had told him at the very start not to form those kinds of bonds, but it seemed that seeing Achievement Hunter completely ignore that rule had softened him already. He was only a month in.

Jeremy swallowed, and he hoped his laugh sounded genuine. “True. Got the info, _and_ you got laid. Not a bad night.”

Gavin gave him an odd look, though he seemed to let it slide. “The job was good. He was alright.” He tipped his beer towards Jeremy with a raised eyebrow and then he left the kitchen. Michael’s drunken cheer welcomed him back in before the door closed and muffled the noise.

This time, Jeremy was left feeling like he was the one who had been checkmated.

* * *

The encounter stayed on Jeremy’s mind for a long few weeks after. When his focus shifted, it settled on his realisation.

He didn’t let it get in the way of his work. That would be unprofessional, and Jeremy was sure Geoff would drag him in for a chat if he started being frosty towards Gavin, especially given how much the Brit had started hanging off of him. Despite the prickly, wanting feeling it gave him in his chest, Jeremy thoroughly enjoyed his company anyway, and he wouldn’t reject Gavin’s attention for anything.

This job, though, felt like a test of his limits.

He was to act as Gavin’s bodyguard while he worked. It wasn’t uncommon for someone to keep in contact with him or watch the building when Gavin was inside; he always had to go in relatively unarmed since there was no way of knowing what Gavin would decide in the spur of the moment. 

Usually, it would be Ryan or Michael, and that made sense to Jeremy. They were both fit and muscled, and they could definitely intimidate or fight their way in if Gavin was in trouble.

This time, Gavin had requested Jeremy. 

He hadn’t listened to Jeremy’s (admittedly weak) arguing. He was a hacker primarily, he would be better off watching the security feeds - but, Gavin had said, that made him a perfect candidate. 

“ _And_ you’ve got all that lovely muscle, J,” Gavin had added, going so far as to give Jeremy’s bicep a squeeze. The contact had made Jeremy’s heart jump in his chest. “You’re just as good. And they’ve both got stuff to do anyway. Just this once?”

It had been impossible to deny him, and it wasn’t just once.

So here Jeremy was, hunched down in the fancy car he’d driven Gavin to the location in originally. He’d had to tail him to the mark’s fancy apartment building since then. It had been easy to tap into the mark’s security cameras so he could keep a watchful eye over Gavin; if anything turned sour, it would only take a few minutes for Jeremy to rush upstairs and get to him to extract him.

It felt like a fucking eternity, though. Jeremy’s chest remained tight as he switched feeds, watching as the pair exited the elevator and headed for the mark’s apartment. He kept a tight lid on the jealousy he could feel bubbling under the surface - he needed to be clear headed for the sake of Gavin’s safety.

They had only been inside for a few moments before Gavin was pressed up against the door. Jeremy couldn’t hear sound, but he could see clearly enough. 

The mark was busy enough not to notice as Gavin opened his eyes and glanced around - he was checking the exits and for any weapons, Jeremy assumed. That was, until his gaze lingered on the camera once he spotted it.

He grinned and winked.

Jeremy sat back against the plush faux leather of the car seat, sucking in a deep breath. He wasn’t sure what Gavin was playing at, but he was definitely up to something. Gavin would know that Jeremy was already behind the camera, watching. There was no mistake there.

In the end, Jeremy didn’t really think he was going to get an answer. He could only speculate as he monitored the activity in the apartment, watching as Gavin talked to the mark after they were done (supposedly to get what he needed), and slipped out when they were asleep. Gavin got back in the car with a breathless huff, his hair a mess and his clothes in disarray, and he grinned slyly at Jeremy.

“Enjoy the show, Lil J?”

Jeremy felt his cheeks grow hot. Flustered, he could only stumble over his words - he hadn’t actually seen anything, he’d only glanced back to make sure Gavin wasn’t in trouble, not that Gavin had any way of knowing that. 

Fortunately, the fact that Gavin was teasing him about it made it seem like he wasn’t in trouble either way, but Jeremy’s blush lingered all the way back to HQ.

* * *

Unfortunately for Jeremy, it became a habit. After that first time, Gavin claimed him as his official partner whenever he was called out for a job like that. 

Jeremy could admittedly see the use from an objective standpoint - it was probably good to have someone who could hack into the security footage without anyone noticing. In that case, he was certainly the one who was most suited to the job. Geoff only needed to take one glance at Jeremy’s skills and his fit physique before he agreed to Gavin’s request. Michael and Ryan even thanked him for freeing up their schedules a little more.

Luckily, Gavin never spent the whole night with a mark. It was dangerous enough when he chose to seduce them for information - actually falling asleep would put him in a vulnerable position, and would now force Jeremy to wait all night for him. 

Instead, he was treated so frequently to the sight of a ruffled Gavin that he started to haunt his dreams.

Jeremy woke up in his small, dark bedroom, achingly hard and with the image of a sultry and purring Gavin behind his eyelids. Four months into his job now, he cursed himself as he quickly got himself off to thoughts of his colleague and friend so he could go back to sleep. 

He could barely look Gavin in the eye the next morning. All he could picture was the way dream Gavin had crawled into his lap and moved elegantly against him.

* * *

It was only a matter of time until Jeremy was pulled in on a job with Gavin. The added security was necessary in this case; all Jeremy knew was that they were tasked with attending a fancy party. Gavin was the one who actually knew what he was doing, and he wanted Jeremy in there with him this time.

He’d lost Gavin in the crowd a long time ago.

Gavin looked striking with his fitted suit, his styled but still smooth hair, and the charming smile on his lips. Jeremy thought that he looked rather plain next to Gavin, but when did anyone ever dress better than their resident charmer?

One thing was for certain, though: seeing Gavin before they left had not helped the crush situation. The sight of Gavin stepping into the car with that cheeky grin had left him feeling a little weak in the knees, even though he’d been sitting down at the time. He just wished he knew whether Gavin’s flirting was serious, or just to try and get under his skin.

He stood by the door to the vast ballroom now, politely holding onto the champagne flute he’d been given even though he didn’t intend to drink a drop tonight. Jeremy was pretty sure a waiter would just give him another if he was seen empty-handed anyway, so he had decided to hold onto it. 

He was trying his hardest to fit in and look nonchalant, even though this was really not his area of expertise. The thought of being in the car with a laptop on his knees and the security cameras bending to his will was a much more appealing one. At least then, he thought, he would be able to find Gavin much easier. With how crowded the room was, it was almost impossible to pick out his distinctive accent or spot him. 

He was mostly just glad that nobody had tried to talk to him yet. Without Gavin, he had no cover story, no reason for being here. Even if he was supposed to be Gavin’s bodyguard for the night - officially and within whatever tale he’d concocted for them - he couldn’t do much bodyguarding if he was separated from him.

It was briefly tempting to sip the champagne, just to take the edge off. He didn’t.

Unsurprisingly, Gavin found him in the end.

He jumped when he felt an arm loop through his, though he relaxed again when he looked over and realised it was Gavin. His grin was smug now, and Jeremy recognised the sparkle in his eyes as mischievous; he’d suffered from many bets thanks to that playful glint and Team Nice Dynamite’s creativity.

“Having a good evening, Jeremy?” Gavin asked. He sounded a little odd, like he was hiding something. That in itself was strange, considering Gavin’s job was to always hide something; Jeremy figured he should be good at that, or maybe he was revealing the play on purpose right now.

Jeremy shrugged and glanced idly around the room. “I mean, I’ve been standing here doing nothing. There’s not much that’s entertaining about that.”

Gavin hummed a soft, amused sound, and then he gave Jeremy’s arm a tug. “Get rid of the champagne. I’ve got something that’ll hopefully make tonight more fun.”

He definitely wasn’t going to complain about escaping this room. He set the flute down on a table as they passed, and he didn’t notice they were actually heading back towards the entrance of the building until he felt the cool air of the evening on his face. But Gavin pulled him past the door without pause, turning instead down a corridor. When he reached a certain door, he grinned at Jeremy and pulled him inside.

It was a closet. It was dark and cramped and Jeremy could feel Gavin’s breath on his face. He swallowed hard, but his voice was still a little choked when he spoke.

“Gavin, what-?”

He was cut off by warm lips pressing against his, and _oh_. That was nice.

It was only a fleeting kiss, a quick peck to test the waters, and then Gavin pulled back. Jeremy’s eyes had adjusted a little now, enough that he could just about see Gavin in the gloom.

He’d never seen Gavin look nervous before.

He couldn’t really tell in the dark, but Jeremy thought that Gavin was looking away from him. Jeremy was grateful for the wall at his back, because he really needed it to keep him upright at the moment with how much his head was spinning. He wanted this so badly, but there were so many reasons to _not_ kiss Gavin again, too.

After a few beats of silence, Gavin shifted on his feet. There was a quiet click, and yellowed light filled the closet; Gavin had turned on the light above them. “Are you gonna say anything?”

Jeremy licked his lips, and he swore he could taste Gavin on them still. “I- You- We’re working?”

Gavin snorted, and he waved a hand as if to brush away the comment. “I got what I needed before I came and found you.”

“I didn’t even know you wanted me like that.”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Jeremy felt himself flush as Gavin looked his fill; he certainly wasn’t shy about giving him a once over. “You’re a bloody attractive bloke, and you’re really sweet, too.”

Gavin wasn’t making this easy. Jeremy let out a sharp exhale at the revelation, and he felt his heart jump in his chest. “What about- what about Hullum?”

At that, Gavin just looked confused. “What about him?”

“He said that it wasn’t… You know.” Jeremy found himself struggling to phrase it then. He didn’t even know why he was fighting it this much; Gavin _wanted_ him. Maybe it was just the setting and the risk attached to it. “He said that I shouldn’t get this close with others who work with us.”

Gavin rolled his eyes then. “Sod him. You _have_ seen the others, right? Michael and Geoff, Ryan and Ray? Hullum’s used to us not giving a toss.” He seemed to deflate a little bit, shoulders drooping. “If I read it wrong and you don’t want-”

“No!” Jeremy reached for him then, finding one of Gavin’s hands and stopping him before he got started. He realised a second later that he’d been a little loud, and he lowered his voice when he continued. The last thing they needed was for some security guard to find them. “Gav, trust me, I absolutely want you. I’m fucking amazed it’s mutual.” He glanced towards the door, his chest growing tight with nerves again. “Maybe we should go somewhere else, though?”

Even though he huffed, Gavin idly laced his fingers with Jeremy’s, so he figured he hadn’t screwed up too badly. “And here I was, prepared to blow you in here. Thought I’d offer you a quick one before taking you home.”

Jeremy’s throat closed up again as he just took that statement in. “Christ, Gav,” he breathed. “Saying shit like that isn’t gonna get us out of here any quicker. Shouldn’t we get whatever info you got back to HQ?”

“It can wait.” Gavin pressed closer again, easing in against Jeremy’s chest. He brushed his lips across his knuckles sweetly, but it was a little juxtaposed by the wicked grin afterwards. “If you want it, there’s definitely time for a blowjob before we go. Then you can recover before we get home for more.” With a playful smirk, he added jokingly, “Don’t even need to take me to dinner first.”

Just the image of Gavin on his knees had heat pulsing low in Jeremy’s belly. He let out a noise that was almost a whimper, his head rolling forwards to rest on Gavin’s shoulder. “We’d better not get caught and killed with my dick in your mouth.”

He felt Gavin’s laugh against his ear as he was hugged closer. “Is that a yes?”

“It’s a _‘This is a terrible idea, but I’m not gonna turn you down’_.” Jeremy laughed with him then, and when Gavin squeezed him gently around the middle his heart thrummed with affection.

“A little bit of danger can be fun.” Gavin pulled away from him with a grin. He wasted no time then in getting to his knees; the sight of Gavin down there made Jeremy’s breath hitch in his throat. He didn’t have time to catch it before Gavin pressed his palm against him through his pants.

Gavin, as it turned out, wasn’t very patient either.

He didn’t linger on just palming Jeremy. Within seconds, Gavin had unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants and underwear down to his thighs. As Gavin took him in hand, Jeremy leaned heavily against the wall and bit his lip to stifle a whine; God, but he’d imagined this very situation too much over the past few months, and now it had become a reality.

And, admittedly, Gavin was right. The risk of getting caught made this all just a little bit more thrilling. The first lick up the underside of his cock had Jeremy’s knees trembling, and his hand flew up to cover his mouth. Despite the thrill, they could at least try to stay undiscovered.

Gavin still took a little time to tease him, though. He held him by the base to keep him steady, and he hummed quietly as he lapped at Jeremy’s length. That alone almost made Jeremy close his eyes, but he forced them to stay open; he didn’t want to miss a moment of this.

Gavin’s gag reflex was notorious in the office. People would try to find ways to trigger it just for their amusement; Jeremy had been witness to many occasions where Michael would slap a piece of wet bread down on Gavin’s desk and cackle at the noises he made. 

It was safe to say, though, that Gavin was working around that here - with ease, Jeremy noted.

He couldn’t take much of his cock very deep, but as Gavin sunk down onto him, he stroked the rest of his cock with one hand to make up for it. (Not that Jeremy minded the lack of depth - the simple fact that Gavin was sucking him off was a pretty heady thing.) From there, Gavin worked into a steady rhythm, bobbing on what he could take and timing his strokes with his movements, and Jeremy moaned into his hand when he couldn’t swallow the noises altogether. 

It was kind of embarrassing to realise how much it was affecting him already. They couldn’t have been in here for very long, but Jeremy could already feel his blood growing hot with the desire for release. When Gavin pulled off of him, Jeremy couldn’t stifle his frustrated whimper; he’d been so damn close.

“You can touch my head,” Gavin murmured. He kissed down the side of his length, and Jeremy hissed out a breath as he felt Gavin bite a mark into his hip. Obediently, he tangled his fingers in Gavin’s hair - previously it had been a little flatter than usual, but now it was far messier - and guided Gavin back to his cock. To his surprise (and arousal), Gavin went willingly, and Jeremy swore he heard a soft, pleased whimper from below as Gavin took him in again.

With how close he’d been before, it wasn’t long before Jeremy struggled to keep his hips back against the wall. They wanted to press forwards, deeper into that wet heat, but he didn’t want to choke Gavin. That energy was transferred into his hand as he tugged lightly at Gavin’s hair. He was sure that if he hadn’t been keeping himself quiet, he would have been babbling by now. 

At some point, his eyes had closed, but they snapped open again when he heard Gavin moan.

Jeremy looked down. When he gently pulled again, Gavin repeated the noise, and his body seemed to curl in on itself a little. It didn’t take him long to spot his hand between his thighs.

Heat rushed through Jeremy, sudden and sharp, and he cried out behind his hand as his orgasm hit. He’d meant to warn Gavin beforehand, but after the first pulse Gavin pulled back to give himself some breathing room. Jeremy’s breath stuttered with each following stroke of his hand; it was like Gavin was trying to get every last bit of pleasure out of him, moving rhythmically and squeezing gently. When he was spent, Gavin lingered for just a few seconds longer, tongue still swiping at the head, until Jeremy protested with another soft noise.

He leaned back against the wall heavily, hand dropping back to his side as he caught his breath. The fingers that were tangled in Gavin’s hair turned gentle, petting through it rather than pulling. He knew they should move and that Gavin still hadn’t found his release, but Jeremy needed a minute after that.

“Fuck, Gav,” he breathed, a laugh tumbling off of his tongue. “That was incredible.” Even better than even his dreams had given him, even though it had been quick.

Warm hands settled on his thighs, and then they set about tucking him back in and dressing him. “Been wanting to do that for months,” Gavin admitted. Once Jeremy’s belt was buckled, he pulled himself to his feet and pressed in close. His cheeks were still flushed with arousal, Jeremy noticed, feeling a little guilty. “I figured it was about bloody time.”

“Definitely,” he agreed. His hands settled on Gavin’s hips, gladly drawing him in. “Does that offer of going home with you still stand?”

Gavin’s eyes lit up with delight. Jeremy had never intended to say no to that part, but he realised he hadn’t actually accepted. “Of course it does. C’mon, quick.” 

Light flooded into the closet as Gavin flung open the door, and Jeremy found himself giggling as Gavin grabbed his hand and dragged him back outside.

* * *

“We’ll have to come clean to Hullum.”

Jeremy didn’t mean to keep throwing potential roadblocks in the way; he was just nervous. He felt comfortable with Gavin - his hand had settled on Jeremy’s knee as he drove, occasionally offering quiet suggestions on which way to go to get home - but his mind kept drifting back to life outside of their mutual desire here. It was distracting and worrying.

Gavin just snorted. His gaze had drifted out of the window at some point, but now he looked Jeremy’s way again with a raised eyebrow. “Don’t worry about it. He’s used to it from us lot. He’ll give us a warning but he’ll let it go.”

“Huh.” That was interesting to hear, honestly. “He made it seem like a bigger deal than that.”

“Nah.” The hand on his knee squeezed, and Jeremy found himself smiling. “As long as it doesn’t get in the way of work, it’ll be fine.” 

Jeremy wouldn’t let it. He’d already thought about that in the past, admittedly. He wasn’t going to stop Gavin from doing what he needed to for information - that was entirely Gavin’s choice - though he figured they’d have to talk out their boundaries on that front at some point. Just not now.

He felt Gavin’s gaze on him; a brief glance over at him confirmed it. “What?”

Gavin was smiling, half warm and half amused. “Is that why you never did anything? Or did you just never think about it until tonight? ‘Cause I’ve been dropping hints for bloody months, and I was starting to think you were either really oblivious, or just not into me.”

Jeremy couldn’t help a laugh then. He dropped his hand to rest on top of Gavin’s for a moment as reassurance. “Believe me, Gav, I’ve been into you for ages. Months.”

“Then this has been such a waste of time,” he groaned, slumping down in the passenger seat. “We could’ve been going at it all this time.”

“I’m pretty sure we can make up for it,” Jeremy replied, chuckling. Just the thought of there being other opportunities for this had his heart skipping a beat. “Are we almost there?”

Gavin sat up again, peering out of the window. “Ah, yeah. Take the next left.”

Within minutes, they were at Gavin’s apartment after a little trouble over parking. As he unlocked the door, Gavin paused, looking a little nervous again. He seemed to brace himself and, once it opened up with a click, he turned to face Jeremy and put his back to the door. He looked determined, Jeremy noted. “Before we go in and get distracted, I need to tell you something, J. Just… you know, to see if you’re okay with it.”

“Uh, sure?” Did Gavin want to have a conversation about work already, or was this something else? Just to cover all bases, Jeremy added, “If it helps, I promise I’m not gonna be an asshole.”

Gavin offered him a little twitch of a smile, and he huffed out a breath. “Thanks. I’d be surprised if you haven’t already figured it out, but apparently you’re really not observant even when you’re literally watching me in the bedroom.”

Jeremy felt his cheeks start to burn. “Gav, I told you, I never _watched_ that. Even if I had wanted to, I wouldn’t have been able to see much. I just checked in.”

“If you say so. I wouldn’t have minded anyway.” Gavin shot him a grin, but it soon died again as his expression became more serious. He seemed to wrestle with himself for a moment, and then his words tumbled out of him in a rush. “I just- I don’t have what you’re probably expecting in my trousers.”

After a pause to figure out what Gavin meant by that, Jeremy just shrugged. “Okay.”

Gavin squinted at him. “Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.” Jeremy reached for Gavin’s hand and gave it a squeeze. “Dude, I don’t care what’s in your pants. The thing that matters here is that you’re comfortable doing stuff.” 

Worry and suspicion slowly drained from Gavin’s features; he seemed pleasantly surprised in its wake. After a beat of silence, his fingers wiggled between Jeremy’s a little. “Oh.” When Gavin started to smile, Jeremy grinned with him, relieved that he was starting to relax again. “Well. Come in already, J. We’ve got _plans_.”

The door was shut firmly behind them, and Jeremy admittedly fully expected to be pressed up against it. Instead, Gavin tugged him through the nice apartment, towards what was presumably the bedroom door. He wasn’t going to complain about getting straight there.

Gavin turned to face him when they were at the foot of the bed, leaning down to meet Jeremy for a kiss. Jeremy gladly curled his fingers into the front of Gavin’s suit jacket, as if he was pulling him down to his height, though he was the one who was pushed back onto the bed after only a moment.

The moment that Gavin climbed on to hover over him carried a striking resemblance to his dream. It was enough to make his cock twitch again.

Except this time Gavin was very real, warm and solid in his lap. The smile he saw before Gavin kissed him was so much better than the hazy smirk that had lingered on his mind for months now. Jeremy gripped Gavin’s hips and pulled him closer, his heart jumping when Gavin moaned into his mouth.

It was effortless to flip their positions. Gavin seemed surprised to find himself on his back, but he was grinning as his hands roamed over Jeremy’s shoulders and chest. “What happened to me riding you, J?”

“You still can. I just figured I should return the favour first.” He delighted in the shaky breath that left Gavin’s lips then as Jeremy kissed his way down his scruffy jaw, his neck, and to the collar of his shirt. He pushed Gavin’s jacket off of his shoulders and started working on his buttons. The sooner they were both naked, the better, in his opinion. 

Gavin’s shirt, tie, and jacket ended up on the floor in a crumpled pile. Jeremy pressed his lips to his chest, peppering it with sweet kisses and tracing a line of them along the twin scars there. They were faded and old and Jeremy was pretty sure Gavin was confident about his body since he hadn’t said anything when he’d undressed, but he still wanted to worship every inch of him. 

He heard Gavin’s breath catch noisily in his throat when he moved over his scars again. “J,” he sighed, fingers carding into his hair.

Jeremy hummed quietly against his skin. “Right here, Gav.”

He lingered on Gavin’s chest, but not long enough to draw too much attention to it. If Gavin was uncomfortable then surely he’d tell Jeremy; so far, he’d just squirmed and moaned soft sounds as Jeremy’s tongue had flicked over a nipple teasingly before heading lower. 

They paused again to kick off their shoes - Jeremy took the opportunity to get rid of his too while they stopped - and then he slid Gavin’s trousers and underwear down his legs in one motion. “Careful with that,” Gavin commented as he wriggled free, “my packer’s in there.” Instead of carelessly throwing it off the side like he had with Gavin’s shirt, Jeremy obediently lowered the rest of his clothing to the ground before he returned to his spot between his thighs.

Jeremy brushed a kiss against Gavin’s thigh, and he glanced up towards him. He smelled musky and warm; Gavin’s scent alone had Jeremy’s mouth watering. “You okay with me eating you out a little?”

“ _Christ_.” Gavin puffed out a breath, a chuckle at the end of it. “Please, J.”

He didn’t want to waste time or tease Gavin too much, so Jeremy ducked down onto his stomach and kissed a trail up to his groin. Once he’d guided Gavin’s legs over his shoulders, he dragged his tongue, hot and thick, over his lips and up to his clit in a firm lick. 

The fingers in his hair tightened, and Gavin’s body rolled up towards his mouth as a loud groan rumbled through him. Jeremy felt his length throb with renewed arousal.

He’d been holding onto Gavin’s thighs, but now, as he tongued his clit, Jeremy gently rubbed his fingers against him. The touch had Gavin rocking, first up into his mouth and then back towards his hand, unsure which direction he wanted pleasure from most. Carefully, Jeremy eased a finger into him to really give him something to grind onto.

Gavin tossed his head back against the pillow as he tugged Jeremy’s hair. “More, J, _please_. Need it.”

Even so, Jeremy was hesitant as he added a second finger. Gavin was wet enough, but Jeremy didn’t know his limits and he didn’t want to push him beyond them. (He didn’t let himself think about what it’d be like to be inside Gavin just yet; right now was about him, not Jeremy.)

He twisted his wrist to hopefully get a better angle for Gavin as he pumped his fingers into him, his tongue focusing solely on his clit now. Jeremy shivered when Gavin keened and arched up into his touch again. 

“Jeremy,” Gavin gasped, clutching at his hair, his shoulders, whatever he could reach. “Jeremy, I’m gonna come, _Christ_.”

The news only made Jeremy work harder, more eagerly; he’d come earlier, and while he was achingly hard again now, Gavin had one to catch up on first. Gavin’s breaths grew shorter, his noises higher pitched, and, when Jeremy flicked against his clit and crooked his fingers just right, his hips snapped up off the bed as he cried out his name. 

Gradually, Gavin released his tight grip on Jeremy’s hair, and his legs dropped back to the mattress one by one. Jeremy raised his head so he could casually wipe his hand across his mouth and, when he saw Gavin staring with something like wonder and hunger rolled into one, he shot him a grin.

Gavin’s head fell back on the pillow with a quiet chuckle. “Bloody hell, Jeremy. No need to be smug about it.”

“Too late.” Jeremy moved up on all fours to hover over him. Admittedly, he couldn’t stop smiling; it probably looked like he was pretty pleased with himself, but mostly he was just excited to be here with Gavin right now. “Who wouldn’t be smug about getting to eat you out?”

“Probably plenty of people.” He leaned into the hand on his cheek, and he went willingly when Gavin eased him down for a fond peck. 

Jeremy shook his head when they parted. “Doubt that. You’re amazing.”

“Alright, alright.” Gavin rolled his eyes, but there was definitely humour in his tone. He became more businesslike then, and he patted Jeremy’s side. “Get off me and get undressed, J. We haven’t even got to the main event yet.”

He rolled to the side, settling on his back next to Gavin. He didn’t make any move to undress, though. “You sure you’re good? We don’t _have_ to do more tonight.”

Gavin had sat up and started rooting around in his bedside table, but he paused so he could lean over and kiss Jeremy’s cheek. “Positive, J. I’m good for another round if you are.”

Before he could pull away, Jeremy gently caught Gavin by the arm so they could share another quick, sweet kiss. “I’m definitely up for it. Still, take your time to recover if you need it.”

“You’re sweet.” Gavin patted his hand and then returned to the drawer, and Jeremy took the opportunity to strip. 

When he was bare, Gavin straddled his thighs, a condom and a tube of lube in hand. He hummed a little as he rolled the condom onto Jeremy’s length, giving him a much appreciated squeeze for good measure. Jeremy huffed when Gavin let go, a smile tugging on his lips. “Now who’s being smug?”

“Oh, shush.” Gavin sent Jeremy an amused little grin. “You’d be pleased too if you were me right now.”

There was a lot to be said for Jeremy’s view, though. Really, he was quite enjoying the sight of Gavin in his lap, flushed and smiling. He squeezed Gavin’s hips and said, “Nope, I’m good. This is pretty awesome from where I’m standing.” 

If it was possible, Gavin’s already ruddy cheeks went darker. “Flatterer,” he huffed, prodding Jeremy’s chest. He busied himself with the lube then, warming it between his palms before stroking some onto Jeremy’s length. Jeremy couldn’t help watching as Gavin left the remainder on his fingers and dipped his hand between his own legs with a quiet gasp.

Yep. This was definitely a pretty amazing view.

Gavin licked his lips as he withdrew his fingers. “Still a bit sensitive, but it should be alright. I’m ready to go if you are.”

“I am, yeah,” Jeremy confirmed breathlessly.

He shuffled to sit up just a little more, leaning back against the pillows. Like this, he’d be able to cradle Gavin closer and kiss him easier once they got going - the intimacy of this was probably the thing that Jeremy had been craving most of all. Gavin rose up onto his knees and took Jeremy’s cock in hand, stroking it again appreciatively before he sunk down onto him.

The first movement was slow. Jeremy exhaled a long breath as Gavin eased his way down onto his length; he was hot and tight, and Jeremy ached to move. He wasn’t going to until Gavin was comfortable, though.

Gavin thinned his lips as he settled. “Just gimme a minute, J,” he breathed.

“Of course.” Jeremy’s hands skimmed up and down his sides, soothing. “Take all the time you need, Gav.”

He scooted in a little closer, his arms winding around Jeremy’s shoulders as he ducked in for a kiss. Gavin made a soft noise against his lips as his change in position shifted the angle below. “You’re lovely, you know.”

Jeremy frowned a little, though more out of confusion than anything else. “Because I’m giving you time to adjust?”

“Just in every way.” Gavin sighed as he gave a tentative roll of his hips. Jeremy’s head spun a little as he felt Gavin’s walls flutter around him. “You’re just brilliant, J. Bloody oblivious as hell when it comes to flirting, but brilliant.”

“Is this how you seduce people? Get ‘em in bed and then call ‘em oblivious?”

Gavin’s grin then was warm and wicked all in one, like it was when he could see a joke or a bet coming. “Worked with you, didn’t it?”

A laugh bubbled up in Jeremy’s chest. “Okay, you got me there.” 

As he giggled, Gavin joined in, his forehead coming to rest against Jeremy’s. The brief interlude was nice and sweet, and it was also apparently enough time for Gavin. When they came down from their laughter, he rocked onto Jeremy’s length again, and his smile slipped away as he gasped instead.

“You’re so bloody _thick_ ,” he huffed. Gavin sat up again, bracing himself on Jeremy’s broad shoulders as he started to work into a rhythm. 

Jeremy kept his hands on Gavin’s hips, helping to guide him into a grind that worked for both of them. He groaned into the air, shifting his feet on the bed a little to give himself the leverage to work up and meet him better. “Fuck, Gav. You feel amazing.”

“Yeah?” He felt Gavin dig his fingers into his shoulders a little more, and he grunted as Gavin started to bounce on his cock instead of just rocking. “F-fuck. Tell me about it, J.”

He’d never really considered himself one for doing the dirty talking, but he’d give pretty much anything a try for Gavin. Jeremy used his grip to tug Gavin down into a firm thrust up, and he relished in the surprised moan it caused. “You feel so tight. It feels like - _fuck_ \- like you know what you’re doing.. God, I’ve wanted this for months, Gav.” 

He shivered himself at the reminder that he was really here, that Gavin actually wanted him. It was still a little incredible to him that Gavin had been the one to initiate everything tonight.

Jeremy felt more than saw Gavin sliding a hand between his own legs again. “Keep going,” Gavin breathed, “please.”

“You look hot, too,” he continued. Gavin was a gorgeous sight like this, grinding into his hand and onto Jeremy’s cock, breathless with pleasure. Jeremy felt his body tighten as he inched closer to his own climax with every passing moment. “I always wondered what you’d look like when-”

He was cut off with another kiss, this one hungry, desperate, and more teeth than tongue. Gavin’s fingers curled into his hair again, this time at the back of his head, and Jeremy didn’t mind the prickling of his scalp as Gavin tugged at it. There was a sense of urgency to the way he moved against Jeremy now, the rhythmic snap of his hips into his own hand leaving him with no illusions about how close Gavin was.

Gavin broke away from the kiss with a gasp, but he didn’t move away entirely. His mouth roamed down Jeremy’s neck instead as he panted. “J-Jeremy,” he hissed, “I’m close, so close, fuck-”

Maybe it was the fact that they’d both come already this evening, or that they really were just so desperate to finish together. Either way, some kind of dam had broken; Jeremy grasped Gavin’s hips and started to fuck up into him, and he felt Gavin work himself quicker between them as he neared his own peak. 

His only warning before Gavin came this time was another tug on his hair before he called out a sharp, “Ah!” As Gavin tightened around him, Jeremy tumbled over the edge after him with a few more quick thrusts and a hoarse groan of Gavin’s name, muffled from where he’d buried his face in the Brit’s neck. 

They were slow to part as they came down from their dizzying high. Jeremy’s limbs felt like jelly now, and all he really wanted to do was hold Gavin close and fall asleep next to him. Who needed to clean up anyway when sleep was much more appealing?

It was Gavin who moved first, though. He eased himself up and off of Jeremy, and he grunted as he flopped to the side next to him. He swept his hair back from his forehead with a puff of breath. “Well, I don’t think I’ll be able to walk tomorrow.” 

Jeremy slid down the bed so they were more level with each other. Clumsily, he reached down to remove the condom and tie it too, wincing a little whenever his touch was a little too firm with himself just yet. “We don’t have much to do tomorrow anyway, right?” 

“Probably not.” Gavin rolled towards him to give him a quick peck, and he stole the condom from Jeremy’s loose grip before he moved away again. “I’ll toss this, love. Be right back.”

When Gavin returned from the bathroom, Jeremy had slipped under the covers, assuming he was welcome to stay the night. Gavin certainly didn’t make any moves to kick him out - he eased in with Jeremy, tucking himself into the shorter man’s arms quite happily. Jeremy chuckled as Gavin wrapped around him like an octopus.

“What?” Gavin pouted at him from where he’d pillowed his head on Jeremy’s chest. “You’re warm. You’re like a bloody radiator.”

He didn’t mind. Jeremy threaded his fingers into Gavin’s hair and idly stroked it as they relaxed. Really, it had been a pretty fantastic evening considering Gavin had dragged Jeremy out for a job he wasn’t supposed to do.

When he fell asleep, it was easy and comfortable. For the first time in a while, his dreams weren’t troubled by foggy, heated thoughts. Instead, he slept peacefully with Gavin at his side.

* * *

Waking up the next morning was soft, sweet, and warm.

Jeremy was first, though he didn’t have to wait for long, luckily. His head was spinning with questions as he felt Gavin stir against his chest - the most prominent one, however, was whether this had been for just one night.

Either Gavin had worried about the same thing, or he just knew that it was on Jeremy’s mind. He pulled himself up so they were face to face, and he fit their mouths together for a lazy kiss. The tight ball of anxiety in Jeremy’s chest slowly eased and dissipated.

When they parted, Gavin murmured, “You know what would make you an even better boyfriend, J?”

He was both soothed and excited by the term ‘boyfriend’; Jeremy’s chest felt warm and his heart skipped a beat simultaneously. “What?”

Gavin playfully batted his eyelashes. “You could make breakfast?”

Jeremy rolled his eyes - because of course Gavin was being lazy - but he eased out from underneath him so he could track down his underwear. “Sure. Pancakes sound good?”

* * *

Somehow, Hullum found out immediately.

Jeremy suspected Achievement Hunter. They had understood the moment they’d arrived the next day - not that they’d really been subtle. Gavin had happily tangled their fingers together the moment they’d left the car, and Geoff had claimed that Gavin looked too smug for his own good. Jack just looked faintly amused, no doubt because Jeremy had also ended up in a couple like most of the others.

They’d been in the middle of greeting new recruits - Lindsay, Trevor, and, to Jeremy’s delight, Matt - when Hullum had appeared in the doorway seemingly silently. He’d merely caught Jeremy’s eye, pointed at Gavin, and then gestured for them to follow.

Jeremy wasn’t sure how he’d realised. Maybe word had spread, or he’d spotted them holding hands on their way through to the Achievement Hunter room. As far as he knew, there weren’t any hickeys to clue anyone in. Or maybe Hullum just _knew_.

Now, though, they sat across from their boss in his office. Gavin looked casual and at ease, but Jeremy was pretty sure he was quaking in his boots.

He hadn’t met Hullum privately since he’d finished training all those months ago. He’d had no reason to. Now, though, he’d broken one of the more important rules that he’d laid out, and Jeremy was honestly pretty terrified of what was about to happen.

After a moment of glancing between them, however, Hullum just sighed, braced his elbows on his desk, and massaged his temple. “I’m not going to ask for details or demand that you break up. If I did, I’d have to ask most of your team to do the same.” Hullum gave a slight shake of his head, and his gaze briefly shifted to the door. “Lord knows Geoff wouldn’t allow it.”

Gavin snickered quietly beside Jeremy. “God, no. He’d kick up a right fuss.”

Jeremy was surprised then to notice the slight warmth to Hullum’s features. “He would. So, instead, I just ask that you don’t let this affect your work. You have Bragg with you now - perhaps, Mr. Free, you should think about taking a different hacker with you on your jobs from now on, just in case.”

“Then I’d have to bring someone else to bodyguard anyway,” Gavin replied, flapping a hand dismissively. “That’d take someone else away from their work.”

“You have more people now,” Hullum reminded him gently. “It’s not an order, just a suggestion. It’s something for you two to discuss between yourselves.” He shrugged it off, like it really was a topic for two people in a relationship and not something that could influence a life or death situation.

It felt like some kind of trick to be let off so easily. Even with Gavin’s assurances - and, on top of that, the examples within Achievement Hunter - Jeremy had expected some kind of severe punishment here. Instead, they were just… free to go?

“So we’re not in trouble?” he asked.

The fondness in Hullum’s gaze turned into a small smile. “No, Mr. Dooley, you’re not in trouble.”

Jeremy blinked. “But when I joined, you said-”

“I know what I said.” Hullum settled back in his chair almost lazily, hands clasped together in his lap. “It’s mostly a warning to make you think if you pursue something like this.”

Well then. “Oh,” Jeremy said.

Gavin laughed. “Yeah, _oh_. I told you it was fine.”

Hullum inclined his head towards Gavin. “There you go. Now, if you don’t mind, I do have other things to address, and you have new team members to greet.”

Once they were on their way back to the Achievement Hunter office, fingers laced together again, Jeremy shook his head. “I really thought we were gonna be in more trouble than that. That wasn’t even a slap on the wrist.”

Gavin snorted. “Hullum’s a big softy, really. The only one you really have to worry about is Geoff.”

Jeremy shuddered. The gent was certainly a father figure in Gavin’s life - that had become apparent in only a few weeks of working here. “God,” he groaned, “I’m so fucked.”

“Absolutely,” Gavin chirped, sounding far too cheerful. Before they headed back into the office, Gavin turned to grin at him. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t beat you up too badly. I need my bodyguard, don’t I?”

Jeremy wasn’t sure when his job had gone from ‘hacker’ to ‘bodyguard’, but he wasn’t going to complain when it had brought him here. He could only smile as Gavin tugged him back into the hustle and bustle of the Achievement Hunter office. 

Matt was at his side almost immediately, and Jeremy dropped Gavin’s hand so he could pull his old friend into a hug. 

“It’s so good to see you,” Jeremy sighed, clapping Matt on the back as they parted.

“You too, dude.” Matt beamed at him. He looked excited - and God, Jeremy could remember how it felt to be the new arrival. He was glad that Matt had others to be the new guy with him. “Any advice for my first day?”

He caught Gavin’s eye over Matt’s shoulder. He couldn’t help returning the warm smile that Gavin sent his way; it lingered when he returned his gaze to Matt. Jeremy gripped his shoulders firmly and, confidently, he said, “If you get in too close to someone on the team, go for it.”


End file.
